Apparatus for carrying out physical and chemical reactions



April 11, 1939. 3 DE BEQZE 2,154,150

APPARATUS FOR CARRYING OUT PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL REACTIONS OriginalFiled July 6, 1937 122022502 G /ye CZQBQCZQ/ /ZL y, I

86 large gas-filled spacu Patented Apr. 11, 1939 APPARATUS FOR AND CCARRYING OUT PHYSICAL HEMICAL REACTIONS George de Becze,

Original application July Divided and 24, 1938, Serial No.

January 3, 1936 1 Claim.

This invention relates to an apparatus for carrying out physical orchemical reactions between two or more reactants, more particularlybetween a liquid, a liquid mixture or a suspension on the one hand, andone or more gaseous reactants on the other.

The subject matter of the application is divided r0131 the applicationSerial No. 152,278, flled July 6, 1 37.

Processes in which two or more materials act upon one another eitherphysicaly or chemically take place in customary industrial apparatusmore or less incompletely. The materials in the reaction chamber areonly converted partly into the desired product and partly leave thereaction chamber unaltered, either mixed with the end product or alone.It the individual particles of material of the reactant were broughtinto contact, the desired reaction would take place in a short-time, butsuch movement is however in fact only possible with a portion of thedifferent particles while the other particles during. the whole timewhile they are in the reaction chamber are either surrounded byparticles of their own material or of the product which is formed andwhich is no longer itseli reactive.

It has been sought to increase the possibility of contact between theparticles of the difierent reactants in the reaction of a liquid and agas inter alia by application of the known column constructions in whichthe fluid in a relatively thin layer passes successively through severalzones at diflerent heights, through which the gases or vapors ted incounter current pass successively. The possibility of contact betweenthe particles of material was in this way essentially increased,

but for the attainment of suitable results a great number of such zoneswas necessary whereby the space requirements of the column considerablyincreased, and in many cases even several columns must be connectedtogether.

For favoring the contact between the particles of material, otherapparatus were also pro osed, in which the reaction space was subdividedinto a plurality of communicating su compartments, through which thefluid and the gaseous reactant passed in countercurrent so that eachcompartment comprised a. gas-filiedupper and a liquid-filled lowerspace. Each compartment was prcvldedwith a revolving vaned wheel orother fluid stirrin means by which Jected or sprayed in the uppergas-filled space or the compartment. Owing to their relatively with onlyrelatively small the fluid was pro- Budapest, Hungary 6, 1937, SerialNo. this application January 186,735. In Hungary quantities of fluidsprayed therein, these apparatus also required much space.

Contrary to that, in the apparatus according to the invention theindividual superposed sections are filled by the liquid reactant, andthe gaseous reactant is distributed therein, forming with the fluid atransiently homogeneous dispersion which part of the section. Thus thereactants are in other, which makes possible the more rapid, certain andcomplete carrying out of the reactions in view between a liquid, aliquid mixture or a suspension (reactant A) on the one hand, and one ormore gaseous materials (reactant B) on the other hand, either to the endor only to a desired stage, the apparatus also requiring less space thanpreviously owing to the fact that larger quantities of the reactants arein intimate contact at a, given time.

The apparatus according to the invention conv sists of a column dividedinto superposed sections,

each of which contains a mixing device arranged below the liquidsurface, inlets for the reactants provided near the changed reactants orproducts of reaction at points remote from the mixer, and communicatingwith the inlets of the adjacent sections.

Through the closed reaction space formed by this column and divided intosections the two reactants A and B are fed in counter current to oneanother, in such a manner reactant substantially fllls the individualsections;

At first, and indeed immediately upon its entry.

into the individual. sectio the gaseous reactant,

with the aid of the mixing device below the liquid liquid so as to formof a disper liquid which is homogeneous for a short space of time, andfills the greater part of the section; being then and in the samesection separated again. The separation takes place at any point of thesection which is relatively far from then'iixer and for practicalpurposes lies outside its range of action, and may beassisted bywall-like insertidns, arranged at the edge of the section or other meansadapted to increase the friction of the liquid and acting to oppose therotary movement imparted by the mixer. The separate phases produced by'separations and which are respectively poorer in the constituents orcomponents which have entered into reaction with one another in themixed state or have become enriched in the reaction products formedthereby but which are still reactive, are fed forward as reactants A1and B1 2 2,154,150 into the next section determined by the counter tothe desired degree or conversion and which pace.

The number of the individual sections is setseparated again passesthrough the tubes 9, 9 into tied according to the desired degree towhich the the next section and directly to the vaned wheel materialsflowing from adjacent sections takes he gases streams through the tubes9, 9, to the 15 in movement produced by the stirring mecha- The fluidwhich is now neutral or at least only nism. Thus the freshly introducedreactants A contains the desired quantity. of active material and B comeinto contact with one another imcan be removed through the tube I5. 20mediately upon their entry. The degree to which the reaction is carriedThe separating walls between the individual out may be controlled bysampling taps l6, I6, sections or the openings, tubes, deflectingplates, provided in the individual sections.

80 the tW j ent Sections 50 that e al eady tance apart of the sections,without increasing a, column is filled with a fluid reaction componentrequired is considerably diminished. In order to 0 the openings of thering-like part 6 of .the tube radially arranged plates or the like maybe 45 5 there likewise enters continuously a gaseous formed.

the shaft I I which is maintained in rotation by next section somewhataltered reactants A1 and the drive MI and which passes through all theB1 or A: and B2, etc., pass. sections. The apparatus according to theinvention is the rmg-like tubular part 6 into the fluid and for examplechalk. In this case into the reaction whichrises therein is distributedin the fluid by vessel I through the tube 2 and the openings on the,action of the rotatingvaned wheel I! to a of the tubering 3, milk oflime is continually indo 10 separated part of the gas collects again inthe through the openings 8 and the downwardly flowpart of each sectionand the neutral gases rewhich the object of leading them to the reactionmaining collect in the upper part'whence they vessel further tubes maybe connected at suitpass into the next section. The fine chalkdust ableplaces. 1

produced which when using pure milk of lime Individual sections or allthe sections may be is of outstanding quality can be removed fromprovided with suitably formed cooling or heat- 5 the bottom section bythe tube l5 and then be ing apparatus.

separated from the fluid by sedimentation in the As further suitableapplications of the appausual way. v ratus the following may bementioned by way When proceeding in a similar manner as just of example:washing and purification of gases,

described, but with the use, as a liquid reactant, saturation of fluidswith gases, purification of m of an aqueous suspension of magnesia (M30)liquids, formation of precipitates, etc.

or more advantageously an aqueous suspension What I claim is: I of thehydrated product of magnesia, i. e., mag- Apparatus for carrying outphysical and/or nesia hydroxide: Mg/OH/z, various carbonate chemicalreactions between a liquid or suspencompounds of the magnesia may beobtained. sion, and a gas, comprising a column divided 15 Instead of thevaned wheels other suitable into superposed sections by partitionsraised in devices of the same action might be used like the middle intoa cone, means for feeding the scoops, propellers, etc., and the drivemay take reactants in countercurrent through said column, place in adifierent manner from that described a mixing device in each sectionlocated below by way of example, e. g., each individual elethe liq dsurface and acting to produce a disment can be driven separately.Further the par.- persion of the gaseous reactant in the liquid, saidtitions between the individual sections need not dispersionsubstantially filling the section, sepbe formed exactly conically. Thereactants can arate inlets for the liquidand the gaseous refor examplebe directed byspecial flat or curved actant in each section, locatedbelow the liquid plates, insertions into the walls, tubes and thesurface near the mixing device, the gas inlet a like. The speed ofpassage of the reactants being provided on the upper part of the conicalthrough the reaction chamber may be controlled partition below themixing device, separate outby the degree or pressure maintained in thelets for each of the changed reactants or prodtubes 2 and 5 or by thedegree of vacuum in the ucts of reaction at points remote from themixtubes and I5. ing device, the outlet for the liquid being pro- Thewalls of the individual sections or the vided near the base of eachpartition, finally sepelements arranged in these may have a form aratemeans for removing the changed reactants which varies from one to theother. If more or products of reaction from the column. than twomaterials take part in the reaction, GEORGE n1: BECZE.

